Warm Water, Cold Candle (Vivi)

Based on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and LOONA

Story and Characters by Loo Loo

Written by Loo Loo

The little girl stood firm in her stance, dressed in the Earth Kingdom colors of green and yellow with a blindfold over her eyes. There were other kids next to her, mirroring the same pose, and an elderly woman watching over them with a scowl on her face. They were in an open rocky area with stone walls in front of them.

All of the students lifted up boulders and launched them forward into the wall. This continued for a while before the students switched to other exercises.

After they were done, they made their way back to a dojo set on a small hill. The girl's mother would always be there for her, waiting with a smile on her face as the girl recounted her day to her with great delight.

On this day, however, her delight was interrupted by her teacher. The master bowed to the girl's mother. "Your highness. There's something I want to speak to about, if you have a moment."

"Oh, of course." She looked a little worried, the seemingly permanent look on the master's face probably wasn't helping.

The master led them inside of the dojo and slid the doors shut, a dry leaf managing to float onto the floor as the sound of the kids laughing became distant.

"So what's this about?" The mother said.
The master turned to them. "I wanted to talk to you about your daughter. She's showing immense potential."

"Immense?" The mother's eyes lit up. "What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean that she's highly skilled for her age. It's almost frightening how polished she's become. So much so, that I am offering to move her up to the next class immediately, if you think it would be right for her."

The girl couldn't contain her smile, even though she knew she would have to move to a different class, away from her friends. She looked up at her mother, who was a little less enthusiastic. 

"I'm very happy to hear that, truly... but I wouldn't want to rush her too much if she doesn't feel comfortable. Plus all of her friends are in this class. Maybe she'd prefer staying here a little while longer." She looked down at her daughter. "What do you think Kahei?"

"I think..." Many thoughts went through the Kahei's mind; her desires of wanting to be like her older siblings, how great their earthbending was, and how much she'd miss being around her friends there. With bright eyes and a smile, she said, "I'll do it!"

Kahei opened her eyes, trying to hold onto the distant laughs of her friends. They sunk slowly into the sound of waves... the boat swayed like the wet hands on her back. Back and forth, a soothing, warm sensation that eased her pain.

"Are you awake?" The hands asked.

"Mhm." Kahei's brown hair was draped over her sleepy eyes like silk curtains covering sunsets. She blinked and flexed the hand that was hanging off the edge of the bed.

"Is it still hurting?" The hands asked.

"I should be fine."

As she said that, the hands lifted away from her back. Kahei went to grab her blue shirt lying on the ground, but one of the hands snatched it first.

"Sit up, I'll put it on for you."

Kahei sighed with slight annoyance, trying to remind herself that she was just concerned. She sat up as the hands gently put each of Kahei's arms into the shirt. They circled around, revealing the long arms they led to, the shoulders, and the raven black hair on the top of her scalp.

The girl tied Kahei's shirt firmly before looking up at her. Her eyes were oceans of soft blue and her jaw was made of marble.

Her name was Jinsoul. 

"So you're fine?" She asked, "I need you at your best. Otherwise, I'm not letting you out of this room. Not after what happened last time. This is too important." Her caring words were masked with an icy tone. Usually, all anyone saw was that mask. Vivi had learned long ago that if you ever show your true colors to anyone, you better have their trust caressed against your chest.

"Yes. I'm fine. I promise." Kahei took Jinsoul's hands and put them aside as she stood up, stretching every part of her body. The soreness still lingered, especially in her joints, but the worst of it had thankfully passed.

The healing sessions had been going on since Jinsoul found out about the pains. Each one had been longer than the last. They never actually cured her of anything, it just made the pain more tolerable and pass quicker.

Kahei walked over to the mirror and took a good look at herself.  The young, exuberant eyes of her youth had calmed and matured. They reflected the dark hair that hung above her eyes like black blades. She stared at herself for a good while... she wasn't Kahei anymore, she was Vivi.

She and Jinsoul were clothed in all blue, the colors of the Water Tribe. That was no accident.

Vivi made her way out to the deck of the ship, the calm wind brushing against her cheeks like the blue sail above them.

Everyone else on the ship was dressed in blue. There were boxes and barrels aboard, above as well as below. To the unsuspecting, this would seem like an ordinary Water Tribe trade ship, selling goods across the sea. Jinsoul, Vivi, and their crew had hijacked this ship in an Earth Kingdom port. They had disguised themselves as Water Tribe merchants and were making their way where this ship was always supposed to go.

On slow times like those, Vivi used to love to draw the landscape in front of her. She would spend hours trying to get everything right about a tree or something as simple as how a cloud curved. It's not like she couldn't try to do it anymore; she still felt the love of drawing in her inner child, but the inspiration wasn't there anymore. There was something missing in her... she wondered how far she would have to travel before she found the happiness she had as a child again. The memory of those days were bright, the soft pink of cherry blossoms. It seemed like dark rain clouds followed her wherever she went now. Just a wandering soul.

As Vivi stared out at the open sea, she heard a couple conversing next to her.

"So then I was like haHA and she was like- Hey! What the-"

Vivi took the man's arm and tied a rope around his wrist before grabbing him by the shirt and chucking him overboard. She handed the rope to the shocked girl he was talking to and picked up some bones with meat still on them off of the floor.

"Who cooked this?" Vivi held up the bones to the girl.

Her voice shook a bit. "M-me? I didn't know we couldn't..."eat any of the food. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Vivi tossed the bones at the man overboard. "Be better. We are supposed to be selling this food. Not eating. Reel him in."

"Yes Vivi."

"And stop littering, it's disgusting"

"Yes Vivi. Sorry again, Vivi."

Vivi walked away, wondering if she had been too harsh. These people were with them for their own benefit, not out of some deep loyalty for her or Jinsoul. They would double cross her before sticking their necks out for her life. It was harsh, but she couldn't let anyone even think they are above the mission. She knew both of their names and the fact that the girl was a firebender. That didn't stop her from having good reason to fear her.

Every movement had to be made with precision, every word delivered with purpose. She could not take anything that was given to her for granted.

At sunset, as the sky turned a cool orange and the ship got closer to its destination, Vivi saw something on the horizon. She immediately called Jinsoul over and pointed it out to her. It was another ship, and its intrigue grew with every passing second. It wasn't a trade ship of any kind, the ship looked like royalty.

Alone.

"Looks like our lucky day!" One of them said.

"Don't count your loot before it's jingling in your little pockets." Jinsoul put fingers to her jaw, as if in deep contemplation, then turned to Vivi. "What do you think?"

Vivi looked out at the ship as well, blinking a couple of times. Then, she turned to Jinsoul and nodded with confidence.

The sun had set. The plan was simple.

The Water Tribe ship was steered into the direction of the oncoming one. The crew on board the other ship became furious and asked what it was they were doing. That's when the "Water Tribe" merchants showed the goods they were carrying, specifically furs from the south and some Earth Kingdom jewelry, and asked if the royal family would like to buy some.

Unbeknownst to the other ship, Vivi and  Jinsoul were listening closely below deck. The crew had originally declined, saying they were in a hurry... but when the queen came outside and said she was interested, they had no choice. A couple of waterbenders made an ice bridge to let them cross and look at what they were offering.

That's when Jinsoul and Vivi were given the go-ahead. Vivi had put on her black mask to go along with the rest of the outfit she now had on. She had an empty bag and a pouch of water on her hip next to a belt with a few small blades and other equipment 

Out of sight on the opposite side from where the commotion was taking place, they dove into the water. Jinsoul formed a bubble around each of their heads and moved the currents to guide them toward the other ship.

They went all the way to the opposite side of that ship before stopping. Jinsoul and Vivi looked at each other from their bubbles. She could see Jinsoul trying to measure the distance from Vivi to the nearest window. Then, Jinsoul moved her arms in an upward motion, sending Vivi soaring into the air. Vivi eyed that same window and clutched onto it.

She checked to make sure no one was walking through the hall before pulling herself inside. 

Vivi snuck through the halls of the ship, the candle lights coloring her a dark red. Her footsteps were nonexistent and she listened intently to every little sound coming from the metal that surrounded her. Eventually, Vivi came across a door with a golden glow coming from the circular window. She took a peek inside... there was a girl there... lying in bed in her red pajamas. 

It was the princess. Princess Jungeun.

Vivi stared at her for a while, contemplating her next move. There was no lock on the door...

But instead of going inside, Vivi took some water from her pouch and put out a few candles. She banged loudly on the door before disappearing into the darkness. It was a couple long breaths before she heard noises coming from inside the room. Then, the door opened and she saw her, sleepy eyes and all. She had long brown hair and eyes that said, "I am above you."

"Mom? Did you knock? Why did we stop?!" Princess Jungeun looked around. "And who put out those candles? Where is everyone? Ugh! Mom!"

The Princess didn't even bother to try lighting them. Instead, she did what Vivi expected her to... walk in the opposite direction, toward the sound of all the fuss. Vivi wasted no time in sneaking in her room and looking around. She snatched each and every piece of jewelry and some fancy clothing she found before neatly placing them into her bag. There was no telling how much money was in that room.

As Vivi finished up, she came across something peculiar... it was a letter. A letter that was lying on the bed as if the princess had fallen asleep reading it.

Vivi quickly read the words:

"Dear Jungeun, I'm so glad you decided to write to me. I am in the South Pole at the moment, taking care of some important business. How are you? I remember you saying you had firebending exams coming up. I'm sure you did great, although you are lucky that I am not a firebender.
You know I would have put you and everyone in your country to shame right?

As for me, I'm working on my first big reform that I'm going to put in place as soon as I return home. I've spent many nights thinking about it, not because I don't know if it's the sensible thing to do, but because of how we will go about doing it. We are going to face a lot of backlash, but I'm prepared.

I hope you are doing well and I can't wait until we see each other again. I really enjoyed our time together. Maybe you and your family could visit us next time? I'm eagerly waiting for your next letter. I hope you enjoy your vacation. Unfortunately, I am not that lucky.

Love, Sooyoung."

Sooyoung? This was a letter from the chief of the Water Tribes... Vivi folded and threw it into the bag as well before making her way back out into the hall. She then found her way into the queen's room and did the same thing.

With a bag full of treasures, Vivi snuck back to the window she came from. She tossed the bag outside, a sign to Jinsoul that it was time. Still underwater, Jinsoul bent a wave up to the window that froze, acting as a slide for Vivi to get down safely...

But just as she was about to slide down, she heard yelling. She heard fire and water, swords clanging... they were caught.

"They're pirates!" She heard a soldier yell.

Vivi looked down at the ice and shook her head in frustration. There was no way she could go down now. They were in a fight without her and Jinsoul, she had to help.

Free of the need to maintain secrecy, Vivi rushed through the hall, climbed up some steps, and found herself in the deck of the Fire Nation ship.  There were two separate fights going on on each ship. Fire roared in the night and water calmed it. A battle at sea under the moonlight.

Vivi eyed a vulnerable Fire Nation soldier at the edge of the ship. She rushed over, grabbed him by the arm as he was about to unleash fire, and tossed him overboard. 

His scream alerted a few others, but they were too busy fighting to take action against Vivi. She roundhouse kicked the helmet off another and hit them with a punch square in the nose that left them unconscious.

She looked up just in time to dive away from an oncoming flame. A burn came from her lower leg and she tossed her remaining water on it before it could spread. Low to the ground in a defensive stance, Vivi looked up and saw the princess with fire in her hands, a much different look in her eyes.

"So you're the little runt that put out the candles... I think you forgot your presents!" Princess Jungeun sent another flame towards Vivi. This time she was prepared and jumped on the wall next to her, launching herself up in the air and tossing a couple knives at the princess.

Vivi watched Jungeun clutch her shoulder as one of the blades cut a hole in her pajamas. Seeing an opening, Vivi weaved in and out of the flames from the one-armed princess and prepared to take her down. Then, a couple of guards stepped in front and shot at her with two pillars of fire.

Vivi turned sideways and tried to avoid the flames, but one of them managed to catch her mask. She ripped it off and threw it on the ground before the fire could burn her face. Vivi pushed the hair out of her eyes and for a short moment, she and Jungeun saw each other's faces.

"The Princess is hurt!" One of the guards yelled. "Protect her you idiots!"

Vivi watched as a couple more guards showed up. A couple of waterbenders joined Vivi. There was a stalemate. Neither side wanted to make a move before the other. 

Jungeun pushed her way in front of the guards. "I don't need any protection. I can do it myself."

Then, a current of water took out the guards behind her, sending them into the ocean. Vivi looked over to the side and saw Jinsoul standing with her arms in the air.

"Took you long enough." Vivi relaxed as Jinsoul made her way over to the princess. Jungeun had a flame in her hand, looking reluctant to use it, but Jinsoul knocked her down with another current.

Jungeun didn't appear to be a stereotypical firebending hothead. She knew she was defeated and didn't resist. Jinsoul held Jungeun's hands behind her back restrained them with ice.

Another one of their crew came over, pushing a woman in front of him. "We found the queen." He knocked her onto the floor next to Jungeun, her hands also tied behind her back with rope.

Vivi looked over to the other ship, noticing a few Fire Nation soldiers looking over to their side. That was not good.

"We've taken your ship!" One of them yelled. "Free the queen and the princess this instant or else!"

Jinsoul stepped over to the edge of the ship as Jungeun and Queen Zohyun were dragged over with her. 

"What are you offering?!" Jinsoul replied.

"We don't negotiate with pirates! Unhand them and we will let you go on your way! All we want is for them to remain unharmed! If not, we will render your ship inoperable! Those are the terms... there will be no more!"

"I already sent a messenger hawk to the capital!" Zohyun yelled, "We can wait for a search party to get here! Don't give them anything!"

"Oh, I think I have a little surprise for you..." Jinsoul held up a scroll in her hand, waving it so the soldiers could see it. "I shot down the hawk!" She yelled out. "There's no one coming here!"

So that was why Jinsoul took so long to show up... Vivi had to admit that it was worth it. Now the threat of the Fire Nation sending more ships off their back.. but what were they going to do? It's not like they could just take the ship. If they had noticed that it was a royal ship, anyone else could. They couldn't try to take on the soldiers. Not only would they immediately set fire to their sail, but they might burn all of their other supplies as well. It seemed like they had to take the deal. She told Jinsoul all of this.

"Okay!" Jinsoul yelled. "We accept!"

For the exchange, Jinsoul made an ice bridge connecting both ships again. Then, she made another structure to protect their sails from any dirty tricks. It was an ice arc that acted like a gateway onto the Water Tribe ship, covering the sail. Jinsoul made sure to let them know that she could easily melt the bridge and send them all falling into the ocean if they didn't hold up their end of the deal.

Zohyun and Jungeun were taken to the middle of the bridge as a cold wind passed. Before they were handed over, Jungeun said something with her back to them. "You, the one who was wearing the mask... who are you? I know I've seen you before somewhere."

Vivi didn't say anything to her.

"Well I don't know about her..." One of the soldiers said, "but I think I have a good idea of who the other is. She looks exactly how they've described her... tall, black hair... a face that would make beauty itself blush. That's the infamous Jinsoul."

"If that's true..." Jungeun tilted her head back so Vivi could see her face as she told her this, almost like she wanted her to remember it vividly. "Then this other one must be Princess Kahei, the one who ran away with her."

"I've spoken to her parents before." There was venom in Zohyun's voice. "All they could talk about when you came up was how much of a disappointment you were. All of your siblings are bringing honor to your family and here you are. It's sad what happened to you, princess... an earthbender with all the talent in the world... reduced to this. If you were my child, I would disown— ow!"

Vivi smacked Zohyun on the side of the head, causing the soldiers to spawn some fire in their hands, but they didn't make a move.

Vivi looked away from everyone. "Let's just get this over with." She could hear the anger in Jungeun's breathing as her mother let out a laugh.

"You're lucky my hands are tied, princess," Jungeun said, "Just know... no one lays a finger on my parents and gets away with it."

After the exchange, Vivi and Jinsoul let the Fire Nation ship sail away first, back in the direction of the capital. Afterwards, Jinsoul dove into the water with one of the firebenders and the two of them retrieved the bag she had left in the ocean. Someone had messed up and gotten them caught. Vivi had a good idea of who it was, but they were just too exhausted to find out who it was that night. It would have to wait till the morning. The most important thing was to get as far way from the Fire Nation as possible.

Vivi lay in her bed with Jinsoul sitting next to her. It brought a smile to Vivi's face just imagining the rage on Zohyun's face when she walked into her room. She never liked to show any emotion, but those words had really gotten under her skin. She didn't even care about Jungeun's threat, Vivi was more than confident she could take her if it ever came down to that again one day.

Jinsoul exhaled and laughed. "Well that was fun wasn't it?"

"Yeah... fun." With the adrenaline calming, Vivi's body began to tense up again.

Jinsoul opened up the bag and began to go through it. It wasn't long before she pulled something out of it... the letter. "What's this?"

"Read it." Vivi didn't know what they could use the letter for at the moment, but she figured it was too valuable to just leave it there. It wasn't much to Vivi, but Jinsoul had told her that she was from the Northern Water Tribe a while ago. Maybe she would find it a little more interesting?

Vivi stared up at the roof, listening to Jinsoul lightly whisper the words on the page. Her voice seemed to shake as she got toward the end, which caused Vivi to look over at her. Jinsoul was gripping the letter tight, staring at the bottom of the page.

"What is it?" Vivi opened and closed her hand as the pain began to set in.

That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. "Nothing." Jinsoul folded the letter up and handed it Vivi while looking down at the bag. Vivi could tell something was up. She didn't have any thoughts on it? Even if it was nothing, she couldn't even tell one of her corny jokes? She unfolded the letter and looked down at the spot where Jinsoul had been staring. It was the words, "Love, Sooyoung."

Vivi had a hunch. "Did you know her?"

"Know who?" Jinsoul was just moving things around the bag now, obviously uninterested in them. But the look in her eyes told a different story, there was something else there.

"Sooyoung."

Jinsoul was still shuffling things around the bag without taking anything out. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at Vivi. "I'm sure your body must be aching after all of that." Her expression changed to a much more jovial one, in an almost creepy way. "I think it's time for another healing session."

"Wait but—" Vivi couldn't even begin her sentence before Jinsoul snatched the letter from her hand.

"Lie on your belly."

"No, wait. Answer my question first." Vivi sat up and stared at her but it was obvious that Jinsoul wasn't going to tell her anything. She had put on the mask again. "I think it's important for me to know if you knew the chief of the Water Tribes, don't you? It could be something we could use... I don't know what for but—"

Vivi stopped dead as Jinsoul pressed her lips against hers. It didn't last a long time, but the effect was probably what Jinsoul wanted. Vivi was left with open and completely forgetting what it was she was talking about.

Jinsoul brought a bucket of warm water over next to the bed. "Lie on your belly."

Completely dumbfounded, Vivi did as she was told. She felt Jinsoul's hand pull the back of her shirt up and soon, the soothing warmth of the water was calming her body down again. Vivi closed her eyes and relaxed, soon falling back into a deep sleep.

A/N: ... Hm... I wonder what happened to Vivi? Stay tuned for the next installment where we will finally meet our little Yeojin. And thank you for all the support! It gives me the motivation to try to make each chapter better than the last.